Safety device for elevators



(No Model.)

E. LAINBSSE.

SAFETY DEVICE POR BLEVATORS.

110.416,112. Patented Nov. 26, 1889.

WLLrLesses Ind-nim y. adm M fm /7J @ma/fm1 A H Har/Leafs VTo all whom/fit may concern.-

UNITRD STAIRS.y

PATENT GFFICE..

EDOUARD LAINEssn, or sN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETYDEVlCE FOR ELEVATORS.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of 'nemers Patent No. 416,112,01ated November 26, 1889i.

y Application tiled July 5, 1889. Serial No. 316.579. (No model.)

Be it known that I, EDOUARD LAINnssn, a citizen of Canada, and a resident offthe city and countyof San Francisco', State of California, have `invented a new and useful Improvementin Safety Devices for,Elevatois, of which thefollowing is a specilication.

The main obj ect of my invention is to prevent elevator accidents, Aand I,L accomplish this purpose in providing elevator-cages with stops or catches which come in operation from the moment that the hoisting-rope breaks or becomes in any wise loose.

The nature of my improvements is fully set forth in thefollowing description, referencel being had to the accompanying drawings, yin which- Figure lis a broken -tront elevation of an elevator with my stops as they appear when the elevator is-running in good order; Fig. 2, asimilar elevation showing my safety-catches in operation; Fig, 3, an enlarged view, also i Ain elevation, of my uppe'catches and means connecting the same to the elevator-carriage; Fig. 4, a perspective view of the draw-head; and Fig. 5, a broken sectional elevation of part of an elevator, giving an enlarged view of my lower stops.

Like letters of reference designate similar parts throughout the several views.

The elevator-cage may be of any desired shape, as my safety devices are applicable to any and all kinds of elevators; but in order to show my improvements the more clearly I have represented the cage in the drawings herewith in its simplest form, the licor A, the standards B, and the hangers C, illustrated therein, constituting the whole carriage. The latter is suspended and moved up and down the elevator-shaft bymeans of the draw-head D, the clevis E, and the hoisting-rope F.

The side timbers or guideposts Gr are of the usual construction, except that they are provided for the greater part of their height with toothed racks H, adapted to be engaged by the safety-levers, hereinafter described.

Upon the outside of and surrounding the cage,within the guideways, I place a light frame I. This frame is free from the carriage and is susceptible ot an independent vertical movement, limited, however, by the draw-head D, between the lower branches of which its top bar is confined. As long as the elevator moves with normal speed the frame I rests upon the cage; but the former, being much lighter than the latter, drops down proportionately slower, according to the laws of gravity, in case of a sudden fall, such as may be occasioned by the breaking, slipping, or slacking of the hoisting-rope. This is the principle I take advantage of in the application of my safety devices. I use in the present instance only tive catches; but they can, of course, be multiplied at will.V

The principal stops are those shown in Figs. l and 5, and marked J. As represented in those figures, they are hinged to the under side of the cage-platform and passed through slots in the frame I, their free ends lying in close proximity to the racks H.

It can be seen readily that the position of the levers or stops J depends wholly upon the relative position of the frame I and the carriage. As long as the elevator runs smoothly and the frame I remains as in Fig. l the stops J hang down and do not interfere; but should the cage suddenly drop the frame I, Owing to lighter weight and slower motion, as above explained, would then assume the position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 and cause the levers J to project out their t'ull length, engaging the racks H, as shown, and thereby arresting the descent. It may be urged against this that in elevator accidents the hoisting-rope does not always break, that the cage may drop down at a dangerous rate of speed, and yet the rope remain sufficiently taut to keep it from acquiring a greater momentum than the frame I, and that in such a case the stops J would be inoperative. I doubt, after the experiments I have made, if an elevator of the construction described could be run at an abnormal rate of speed without being checked by my stops; but in order to provide for all fortuitous cases I have devised other catches of still quicker application than the levers J, which they are intended to supplement. I have reference to the catches K. (Illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.) They are simple levers pivoted to lugs on the top of the frame I and having a pointed end adapted to engage the racks H. They are secured to the verticallymovable clevis E by a coupling-pin vfitted to IOO it is obvious that they could be dispensed play up and down within the slotted upper part of the draw-head D. Coil-springsLco'nnect this coupling-pin with the top of the elevator-cage, preferably at the point where the hangers C are united to the draw-head, and exercise upon the inner ends of the levers K a permanent tension of about two hundred pounds each. These levers being slotted, so as to allow them a longitudinal movement upon their pivots, will always tend to reach out and engage the racks H, owing to this constant pull of thev spiral springs. The hoisting-rope being taut, the catches K will be necessarily kept out of engagement and permit the freerunning of the elevator; but from the moment that the rope will slack from any cause whatever the springs L will instantly recoil and stopv the cage,.or at least prompt and facilitate the operationmotl the framel and the lower stops J, thus affording double security. N l

As an addititicnal safeguard and tofiemove every possibility of danger, I provide my elevator with a foot-lever M,- intended also to hasten the working of the frame I and further insurel the application of all stops operated thereby. This foot-lever is conveniently placed near where the elevator attendant stands, close to vthe l'obr of the cage, and is pivoted to one side of thel outeriran'e I. The pointed end of rM is setl close to the rack II, as in the case ofl the 'other catches, while its longer end projects into the cage, being held up by a small spring, as shown. (See Figs. l and 5.) Vith an arrangement of this nature the attendant could be instructed tov press down -upon this lever with his lfont in' vcase of the accidental giving way or slacking of the rope, and could thus materially help to check the fall of the carriage by setting' the frame I and dependent catches to work.

I have described and illustratedracks for use in connection with my safety devices; butwith by simply providing my stops with sharp points and disposing them so as to engage the side timbers.

Having fully described my. invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l V l. The combination of the elevator-cage, a vertically-movable independent frame surrounding the saine, lever-catchespivoted to lugs upon said frame, racks adapted to be engaged by said catches, a slotted drawf head, a vertically-movable clevis, a couplingp in uniting said clevis, said draw-head, and the inner ends of said catches, and fitted to play up and down within said slotted drawhead, springs connecting said' coupling-pin to said cage, and the hoisting-rope, substantially as described. *l l 2. The combination of lthe,yeleva`to`1'-cage, a verticallymovable independent frame surrounding the same, lever-catches pivoted to lugs upon said traine, racks adapted to be engaged by said catches,'a slotted draw-head, a clevis`,a coupling-pin uniting said drawhead, said clevis, and the inner nf'ds of said catches, Aand iitted t0, play upland down within said slotted draw-headsprings vconnectin g said coupling-pinvwith said cage, the hoistingrope, andstops operatedjointly by said cage and said frame, sufbstantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the elevatoi'f-cage, a vertically-movable independent frame surrounding the same, safetystops operated jointly by said cage and frame, and v a footleveradapted to hasten the joint working of the same, substantially as and for the purpose .Spee-ned.

Inlwitness whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand and' affixed' my seal.

EDOUARD LAINESSE. [L. s]

. Witnesses:

J. F. IiNGwELL, E. W. H'AvvKrNs. 

